Ethics for the Next Generation

Every year, the Center engages deeply with a group of SCU seniors who are awarded Hackworth Fellowships to explore ethical issues from a student point of view.

Often, those experiences resonate for Hackworth Fellows as they pursue career paths from academia to business, from medicine to law. Mike Loza ’03 was in the first group of fellows and is now the corporate director of business development at Sanveo, which provides technology solution services to the construction industry.

“One of the greatest tools that I took away from my Hackworth Fellowship was the Center’s ‘Framework for Ethical Decision Making,’” Loza says. The framework offers different ethical lenses for approaching an issue. “This has always been a great guide for me when I come across any ethical dilemma. It even helps me identify if there is an ethics question involved.”

Loza decided that ethics could provide a connection with other SCU alums working in the building trades, so he started the group Bronco Builders. About 10 people came to the first meeting.

There are now 318 members, all of them committed to promoting relationships among alumni and offering mentorship or internship opportunities for current Santa Clara students. The group is also devoted to promoting sound, ethical business practices and to encouraging sustainability in their industry.

Bronco Builders, Loza says, “brings me back to my undergrad days, that desire to be connected. A lot of these guys are friends; I do business with them. If it weren’t for my Hackworth Fellowship, I might never have founded it.”